Oil burner with co-ordinated air and oil valves



March 11, 1952 R. E. SIMMONS 2,588,423

OIL BURNER WITH CO-ORDINATED AIR AND OIL VALVES Filed July 21, 1947 2 SHEETS-Sl-IEET l INVENTOR. oe/"zf f. Jfrnmons Arrows 5y Patented Mar. 11, 1952 OIL BURNER WITH CO-ORDINATED AIR AND OIL VALVES Robert E. Simmons, Denver, 0010., assignor to Denver Fire Clay Company, Denver, G010.. a

corporation of Colorado Application July 21, 1947, Serial No. 762,343

3 Claims.

This invention relates to oilburners. It has to do particularly, although not exclusively, with oil burners of the low pressure proportioning type for use with industrial furnaces.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an improved oil burne wherein oil and air are mixed in the desired proportions and wherein the movement of the control lever will effect the simultaneous adjustment of the oil valve and the air valve.

A further objectof the present invention is to providean improved burner having oil and air control valves located within a casing or housing, in which the adjustment of the oil valve independently and separately from the adjustment of the air valve may be eflected from outside the casing or housing.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved oil burner having improved oil and air valve assemblies, in which the oil valve moves longitudinally during its adjustment.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improvedoil burner structure having an improved oil control Valve which is of the selfwear-compensating floating type whereby wea is reduced to a minimum without sacrificing any of the sealing qualities of the valve.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved structure wherein the stem of the air valve and the seat of' the oil valve are part of a single integral piece, thus making it impossible for wear to cause them to get out of adjustment.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved air valve and oil valve assembly wherein the air valve is associated with the oil valve in such a manner as to be adjustable on the stem of the oil valve.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved low pressure type proportioning oil burner which is of durable construetion, one in which the parts are so arranged and proportioned as to reduce wear to a minimum, and one which is capable of quick and easy adjustment and ready installation in an industrial furnace.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear from the following description and appended claims when consideredin connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

In said drawings: Y

Fig. l is a side elevational view of an improved oil burner embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 isalongitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantially along. the. line 2-2 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction ofthearrows Fig. 3 is a transverse verticalsectional view taken. substantially along the. line 3-3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction'of the arrows;

Fig. '4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of parts otthevalveadjustingmeans;

and r Fig. 5 is anenlargedfragmentary detail sectional view of' a modified shouldered type of nozzle and nozzle arrangement of the burner structure embodying the present invention.

Before 'explaining-indetail thepresent inven-- tion it is to be understood that the invention" is not limited in its application to thedetails of construction and arrangement ofpar-ts illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, since the invention is capable ofother embodiments and. of being practiced or carried out invarious ways. It is to be understood also that the, phraseolog-y or terminology employed hereinis for thepurpose of description and not of limitation, and it is not intended to 'limit the inventionbclaimed herein beyond thereq-uirements of. the prior art.

Referring now particularly toFigs. l and2 of the drawings, there .is-shown one form of oil burner embodying the present invention and adapted for installation in anindustrial furnace. The furnace is not. shown, although it will be understoodthat the tuyere at the delivery end of the-burner is applied to the furnace shell in any suitable manner. Inthe present form, the burner structure comprises a housing or casing, shown as a whole at [0,. which is formed preferably fromtwo main sections H and. I2. .These sections are-preferably in. the form of castings, the section 1.2- beingheld. to the section ll by a series of capscrews orbolts [3. The opposite end of section H carries a. detachable wall It which is "held in place upon an internal fiange by means of capscrews or bolts t5. Theouter face of the wall It is concaveoreupped at It which, together with the circular or round opening H .in the wall, provides the so-called. outer nozzle of the burner. The-sidewall otsection .l l is provided with an offset portion l- I awhich- .providesan' air. inlet manifold or opening t8 which leads into the interior of housing Ill and-Which. conducts air, under the control valve. (not. shown) ,..thereinto. So that the-burner may be appliedto the face shell of a furnace, itis..provided withna tuyre l9 held against :aflange. l lb by a setscrew 20'. The tuyere is provided with. a series ofannularly arranged spaced ports oropening and witli a pipe plug 21.

An adjustable shutter 22 having an operating handle 23 is applied to the outer periphery of the tuyere and serves to regulate the size of the air ports or openings formed therein.

While air is supplied to the burner through the manifold opening l8, fuel oil is preferably supplied to the burner through a fuel line (not shown) which fits an opening that is now shown as closed-by a pipe plug 24. The casing opposite the pipe plug 24 is also apertured and provided with a clean-out plug 25.

The casing section I2 is provided with a substantially axially disposed internal hollow boss or projection 26 having an internally threaded recess at its outer end to receive a packing nut 21. The packing nut 21 contacts a packing 23 and forces it against an apertured wall or web 29. The rear end of the hollow boss receives a removable rear plug 30 carrying a packing nut 3| whose inner end engages a packing ring 32. An adjuster guard 33 is applied to the plug 30 and cap screws 34 are provided to hold the plug and the guard to the rear end of the housing portion or section I 2.

The boss also carries an atomizer shaft 35 having in its upper surface a rack portion 35 with which the teeth of a spur gear 31 are in mesh. The spur gear 3! is carried by a transverse shaft 38 which extends outwardly through the housing portion l2, see Fig. 1, and whose outer end portion carries a slotted handle or control lever 39 and a pointer 40. The pointer 40 regi ters with the graduations formed on a positioning scale 4|. By moving the handle 39 to rock the shaft 38, it will be seen that the atomizer shaft 35 may be shifted longitudinallv. The atomizer shaft 35 carries an atomizer 42 which extends through a so-called inner nozzle 43, the latter secured to the atomizer 42 by an inwardly or rearwardly projecting nozzle boss 44 and set screw 45. The inner nozzle 43 is a hollow member having an outwardly converging con cal bore and outwardly converging external walls ada ted to cooperate with the member ii for sealing the passageway therebetween. The external diameter of the member 42 is, however, somewhat smaller than the minimum diameter of the bore of the member 43 and thus defines an annular passage 65 for air which rema ns open at all times. If desired, an inner no zle 43 (Fig. of modified shape may be emo oved and includes a laterally projecting external peripheral flange 43a on the rear extremity of the member 43'. The outer or free end of the atomizer carries a removable atomizer tip 46 which is provided with lateral openings or orifices 41, see Fig. 2. It will be seen that the atomizer 42 extends through the packing nut 27 and through the apertured wall 29 and seats in the atomizer shaft or member 35.

An orifice block 48 having in its top face a longitudinal groove 4811 which increases in de th toward its outer end, is associated with the atom-' .the position of the groove 48a with relation to the atomizer shaft, by means of an adiustment screw 52. The outer end of the adjustment screw projects into the cap-like portion 3 a of the guard 33 and carries an adjustment indicator 53 and a locknut 54. The wall 33b of the cap portion is graduated, see Fig. 1, and the adjustment indicator 53 is adapted to cooperate with these graduations to indicate the exact adjustment of the orifice block 48.

Fuel oil which is admitted to the atomizer elements of the burner is strained by a preferably cylindrical screen 55 so that any foreign particles in the fuel will be removed before reaching the atomizer tip.

It will be understood that when the control lever or handle 39 is rocked, the atomizer shaft, atomizer and the inner nozzle 43 are shifted with relation to the opening ll in wall or web I4 to adjust to the proper degree, the mixture of fuel and air which is to be discharged at the delivery or outlet end of the burner unit. The proper setting may be maintained by checking the indicator 40 with the graduations on the positioning scale 4|. It is to be understood that as the air control valve, which includes the inner nozzle 43, is moved by means of lever 39, the rack portion 36 is also moved along the orifice block 48, thus correspondingly and proportionately increasing or decreasing the flow of oil. It is also to be understood that once the proper setting has been made by moving the handle 39, a finer adjustment of the quantity of fuel admitted may be made by operating the adjustment screw 52 until the adjustment indicator 53 is properly in register with the desired graduation on the wall 331). The inner nozzle 43 is rigidly secured to the rack portion 36 through atomizer tube 43, with .the result that once these components are properly adjusted, it is virtually impossible for the adjustment to be accidentally altered, as by wear. Since longitudinal movement of the inner nozzle 43 varies the fiow of air and similar movement of the rack member 36 varies the flow of oil through the orifice block 48, the fuel-air ratio remains fixed.

It will also be understood that the groove Ma formed in the upper surface of the orifice block 48 may be varied in depth and length so as to provide the desired fine or minute adjustment.

Air admitted through opening [8 and which passes through opening I! in the wall 14, is known as the outside air which provides combustion. Air which, however, passes through the inner nozzle between it and the atomizer, is known as the inside air which assists in the atomization of the fuel.

When it is desirable to start the burner, the air shutoff valve and the oil shutoff valve. neither of which is shown, are closed. The orifice position indicator or adjustment indicator 53 is then set at the number two position (not shown). The control lever or handle 33 is now turned in a clockwise direction as far as it will go. As thus set, the burner is in its low fire position. The shutter 22 is now slid back to uncover the openings formed in the tuvre 5. at which time a torch may be held in front of the burner port or under the tuyre openings. The air shutofi valve (not shown) is now opened approximately one-third, the oil turned on, and the pressure at the burner adjusted to approximately three pounds. The pressure may be increased by adjusting the pressure regulating valve (not shown). After the burner is lit, the air shutoff valve (not shown) is gradually opened. I The burner can now be adjusted so that it will proportion air and oil over its entire range.

If the installation consists of a series of burners on an automatic control hook-up, each burner erally as described above in connection with a single burner.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In an oil burner, an elongated housing having a delivery outlet at one end thereof and its opposite end provided with an axially disposed hollow boss forming an oil chamber at one end, means for supplying oil to said chamber and air to said housing, a hollow atomizer shaft movable longitudinally in the said hollow boss and forming an oil passage end valve seat, said shaft having a gear rack formed thereon within the hollow boss, an air valve member carried by said shaft and cooperating with a portion of the housing, to control the flow of air therethrough an oil orifice block slidable longitudinally in the hollow valve seat and cooperating with said boss to regulate the quantity of oil entering the atomizer shaft, an oil adjustment indicator extending through the housing into engagement with the orifice block for adjusting the position of said block with respect to said shaft and for indicating exteriorly of the housing the relative quantities of oil entering said shaft, a transverse shaft journaled in the housing, a gear secured to said shaft meshing with the gear rack on the atomizer shaft within the hollow boss, and indicator means on the exterior surface of the housing se cured to said transverse shaft for indicating the relative position of the air valve member within the housing.

2. An oil burner comprising a housing having an air inlet in a wall thereof, one end of said housing being open forming a discharge opening, a hollow axially disposed boss extending into the housing and closing the opposite end thereof, a hollow atomizer shaft having an oil passage and reciprocally sealed in the boss and projecting axially through the discharge opening, said shaft having a single oil inlet communicating with the interior of the boss and a plurality of radially disposed atomizing outlets near the discharge opening, a hollow conical air valve member fixed to the shaft, said valve member having an axial bore defining an annular opening around the shaft near the atomizer outlets and outwardly converging side walls movable by the shaft into sealing engagement with the open end of the housing, an oil orifice block in the boss having a relatively flat surface engageable with the inner surface of the shaft for substantially sealing the oil inlet in the atomizer shaft when the air valve walls are in sealing engagement with the open end of the housing and having a groove increasing in depth rearwardly away from the flat surface for increasing the quantity of oil feed to the shaft as the air valve opens, screw means extending through the boss into engagement with the must be started and adjusted separately, en-

orifice block for moving said block axially along the surface of the shaft over the inlet, resilient means in the housing for continuously urging the orifice block toward the fiat surface of the shaft, external means on the housing for reciprocating the shaft in the boss, and means for sup' plying oil under pressure to the interior of the boss.

3. An oil burner comprising a housing having a straight bore and an inlet, a ring having inwardly converging inner walls secured to the housing definin a central discharge opening, a hollow axially disposed boss projecting into the housing and closing the opposite end thereof, a hollow atomizer shaft having an oil passage and reciprocably sealed in the boss and projecting axially in a forward direction beyond said ring, said shaft having a single oil inlet communicating with the interior of the boss and a plurality of radially disposed atomizing outlets in its forward portion beyond the ring, an oil orifice block in the boss having a flat surface engaging the surface of the atomizer shaft over the said oil inlet for substantially sealing the inlet when the shaft is in its most forward position, said orifice block having a groove formed therein, the depth of which increases rearwardly from the fiat surface for increasing the flow of oil through the shaft inlet as the shaft is moved rearwardly, a hollow conical air valve member carried by the shaft having a wall converging forwardly, a laterally extending base flange movable into sealing engagement with the inner surface of the ring, and an axial bore defining a cylindrical air passage around the shaft, the outlet of which is near the atomizing opening, a screw extending through the boss into engagement with the oil orifice plate for moving said block forwardly and rearwardly along the shaft within the boss, resilient means in the housing for urging the oil orifice block into sealing engagement with the surface of the shaft, means for supplying oil under pressure to the interior of the boss,

a transvere shaft journaled in the housing and having an end external thereto, means on the transverse shaft engaging the atomizer shaft for reciprocating the latter within the boss, and an external indicator on the transverse shaft for indicating the relative position of the air valve.

ROBERT E. SIMMONS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Turpin Jan. 30, 1945 

